


Needing You

by Chrysalin



Series: Yu-Gi-Oh Canon Divergence [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Implied Consensual Underage Sex, Implied puzzleshipping, M/M, Mental Health Issues, not underage in japan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 21:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19118248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrysalin/pseuds/Chrysalin
Summary: Jounouchi finds Kaiba in the street and saves him from being hit by a car. It changes both of their lives.





	Needing You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in the process of moving over stories I initially posted on Fanfiction many years ago, so if you've seen this before, that's probably why.

The first time Jounouchi saw Kaiba after Battle City was pure coincidence. The CEO had returned to Japan for a few days on business, and only a handful of people knew he was in Domino City at all. Jou was leaving work late one night after a double shift waiting tables when he noticed something he never would have believed possible. 

Kaiba – the Kaiba Seto, who was always perfect, in both appearance and control – was in the middle of the street, weaving from side to side with every step. When Jou looked closer, Kaiba seemed almost blind. He was pretty sure alcohol, which had been his first guess, didn’t make people that far gone. It got worse when the blond saw a car speeding the other teen’s way without headlights. Kaiba was dressed entirely in black and had dirt smudging his moon-pale skin; there was no way the driver would see him in time. Jounouchi pushed his tired body into a sprint and knocked the other boy out of the way as the sedan flashed by without so much as a second glance, though Jounouchi knew he was perfectly visible with his bright blond hair and white shirt. They rolled a few times before ending up with Jou lying on top of Kaiba. He sprang back, embarrassed, but Kaiba didn’t seem to notice. If he even knew he wasn’t moving, Jou couldn’t tell – the CEO was completely unaware. He took a good look at Kaiba’s blue eyes. They were open, but out of focus.

Jou didn’t know what to do. He’d never had money for a cell phone, expensive as they were. If Kaiba was carrying one, Jou had no desire to check. The pay phone in the area was always being vandalized, so there wasn’t even that option. Those facts left him with no way to call for much-needed assistance. He grabbed Kaiba’s chin so they made eye contact. 

“Hey, you have to wake up,” Jou said, emphasizing the words with a gentle shake. “Come on, snap out of it. Mokuba is going to be worried. I need you to come back.”

Slowly, excruciatingly so, Kaiba blinked and focused. He frowned. “Jounouchi?”

Jou rocked back on his heels and rubbed his palms on his black jeans. There was a rip in the left knee, and the white button-down that completed his work uniform was ruined. And when did Kaiba start using his name? “Jeez, you scared me. What’s going on? I thought you were drunk at first, but you were totally out of it and it seemed unlike you. A car was coming, so I shoved you out of the way. Sorry if I hurt you.”

Kaiba was pulling himself together. “Hn. I’m sure anyone else could have managed more gracefully.” He got to his feet, and if he was in pain he didn’t show it. “I’m going home.”

Jou almost bought it, but Kaiba slipped and nearly fell. Jou managed to catch his arm and drag him upright. “Do you have a phone? You could call your driver, get him to take you to the hospital or something.”

The CEO looked down and shook his head. “I must have left my coat at the office. And I’m not going to the hospital.”

The smaller teen stared at him in disbelief as Kaiba slipped back into a daze. “You were at KaibaCorp? Why did you come this far on foot?” KC headquarters were twenty kilometers across Domino. “How the hell did you manage it without hurting yourself?” 

He grabbed Kaiba’s shoulder to loop the other boy’s arm around his neck, but the brunette winced. Jou pushed the collar of his shirt to the side and found a violent purple bruise marring the skin. It had to be at least a few hours old judging by the swelling, making it clear his nemesis hadn’t made it so far uninjured.

He frowned and considered. He’d been tipped well at work for a change and had a fistful of cash, money he’d hoped to use to pay rent, buy food and cover some of his father’s many debts. Still, he couldn’t abandon someone who was clearly sick, even if he and Kaiba weren’t on good terms. Walking to the Kaiba mansion was too much after his long day, and Jou doubted the other teen could make it either. Jou sighed and guided Kaiba to the main street to wave down a cab, grateful his newest job was in a good enough area to have taxis. The last one had been so deep in the slums no amount of money could lure them in.

“Kaiba mansion, please,” he said to the driver after wrestling Kaiba into a seat. 

The old man glanced at them in the rearview mirror. “Shouldn’t you take him to a hospital instead? He doesn’t look so good.”

Jou privately agreed, but he didn’t need to give the CEO another reason to hate him. “No, I just need to get him home. He can sleep it off.”

“It’ll cost a bundle,” the driver warned. “Hospital’s closer.”

The blond shrugged. “Please,” he repeated. “Could you put up the partition?”

“Your call, kid. Just make sure he doesn’t puke in the car.”

He waited until the privacy screen was in place before he glanced at Kaiba. The brunette was staring at something Jou couldn’t see. “Kaiba, snap out of it,” he said, shaking the uninjured shoulder. “You have to wake up; you’re scaring me.”

Nothing happened, but he kept trying. The driver reached the mansion a half hour later and used the intercom to tell them he had Kaiba. The gate swung open and the taxi began the long trek up the drive. A man Jou recognized from Battle City came running down the steps as he got Kaiba out of the cab and reached for his wallet. Isono cut the blond off and shoved a thick wad of cash into the driver’s hand. It was easily twice the amount Jou had on him.

“Not a word,” he said. The old man nodded and drove away. Jou watched him leave with a scowl. “Thank you for making sure he made it home, Jounouchi-san,” the older man said as he picked up his employer. “You should go.”

Jou shook his head. “You just got rid of my ride, and I want to make sure he’s okay. He was about to be hit by a car when I found him.” He didn’t get a response. Isono carried Kaiba inside and Jou stubbornly followed. 

“Has he woken up at all?” Isono asked without warning.

Jou nodded, taken aback by the sudden question. “He snapped out of it for a bit after I got him out of the street, but he went under again and I couldn’t get him to come back.”

The man paused and faced him. “You woke him up?”

“Yeah… I think so, anyway,” the blond said uncertainly, glancing at Kaiba’s nonreactive eyes. It was creepy. “I was talking to him when it happened. Is that weird?”

“No one has been able to bring him back since this started,” Isono explained. “He’ll wake up eventually, but no one has been able to force it before.”

“Not even Mokuba?”

He shook his head. “Mokuba-sama doesn’t know; Seto-sama doesn’t want him to.”

Jou grimaced, knowing Mokuba would flip his top when he inevitably found out. It was one of the few ways he really could tell the two were brothers. They were almost obsessive about each other’s wellbeing. He looked at the other teen again, still unconscious in Isono’s arms. “What’s happening to him?”

Isono hesitated. “I’m not allowed to discuss Seto-sama’s personal affairs.”

“Then I’ll wait. When he wakes up, he can tell me himself,” the amber eyed teen decided. It wasn’t like Jou had a reason to leave; between the neighborhood gangs and his alcoholic dad, going home with any amount of cash was suicide. He’d been planning on bunking with Honda or Yuugi. His friends never cared if he showed up unannounced.

Isono gave up and took Kaiba upstairs. Jou heard someone say the doctor was on his way. He wandered to a drawing room and sat on a ridiculously stiff leather couch to wait. The doctor arrived a lot faster than he would have expected and was immediately escorted upstairs. Already tired of sitting, the blond got to his feet and paced. The elderly gentleman came in and cleared his throat. Jou spun to face him.

“How is he?”

“Seto-sama is fine, physically. Anything else would be best discussed with him.”

Jou chewed the inside of his lip. “Has he come to yet?”

The doctor shook his head. “Isono-san says you woke him earlier. I suggest trying again.”

Jou didn’t waste any more time, pushing past the old man and hurrying up the steps. One of the maids pointed him in the direction of Kaiba’s room. He stuck his head in and saw Kaiba lying in bed, so still he could have been a corpse. Jou had always regarded Kaiba as something of a force of nature, powerful and indomitable, even unstoppable. For the teen to be reduced to such a state… It was almost unthinkable.

He shook himself (all the while hearing one of the CEO’s dog jokes in the back of his mind) and marched into the room. “Okay, Kaiba, enough’s enough. Snap out of it.” No response. “This is freaking me out, rich boy. I need you to wake up and talk to me.”

Jou jumped when Kaiba’s eyes unexpectedly locked on his before doing a quick scan of the area. “Jounouchi? What are you doing in my room?”

“Some thanks for a guy who saved you, Kaiba,” he snapped, automatically defensive. 

The doctor stepped in. “Seto-sama? I am glad to see you awake.”

Kaiba’s gaze switched to the older man. “What happened, Sasaki?”

“I am not the one with answers. Jounouchi-san brought you home. Isono-san says he refuses to leave until he talks to you, but I would like to speak with you myself first.”

Jou nodded and left. He paced in the hallway outside the CEO’s bedroom, one ridiculous reason after another popping into his head as he thought about Kaiba’s ‘condition’. It only took a few minutes for Sasaki to exit the room, gesturing Jou back in. Kaiba was sitting up against his pillows when Jou opened the door. 

“What do you want, bonkotsu?” he asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

“I want to know what’s going on,” Jou said as he walked into the surprisingly sparse room. He would have imagined Kaiba’s private space to look more like a luxury hotel or something. “Honestly, Kaiba, seeing you like that scared me. What’s happening?”

At first, the blond thought Kaiba wouldn’t answer at all. The other boy remained silent for several heavy beats before speaking. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Jou repeated. “How do you not know?”

“Because I don’t know!” Kaiba snapped. “I don’t – I don’t know. Ever since Battle City, I just… go. Into my own head, or a hallucination or something. A man is always holding a dead woman in front of a stone tablet of a dragon. At first it only lasted a few seconds. Today I was apparently missing for hours. I don’t know what I was doing. The only thing I remember is you.”

The vulnerability he’d only seen Kaiba show once before was like a fist to the gut. The last time the CEO had seemed so fragile, the brunette had lost his duel with Pegasus and thought he’d never see his brother again. Jou sighed, feeling more sympathy for the other teen than ever before. “Okay. We can talk about whatever you do know.” He cautiously sat on the edge of the young man’s massive bed, wondering why it was the only place to sit. Aside from a dresser and a pair of side tables, the room was basically empty. “Why didn’t you tell Mokuba?”

“He worries about me enough.”

“Then why are you telling me? I expected you to say to get out of your house when I asked,” he admitted. “I never thought you would actually… Well.”

“Because I can’t keep it a secret forever,” Kaiba answered in a gentle tone that was nearly as surprising as his initial behavior. “I almost died. Only a handful of my staff knows. I think it may have something to do with the weird stuff Yuugi goes on about.”

The theory wasn’t too far-fetched when Jounouchi considered, since all seven Sennen Items had been in one place during Battle City and they already knew Kaiba had some sort of connection to the pharaoh’s past. “You should talk to Yami. He might be able to help,” Jou suggested. At the CEO’s blank look, the blond rubbed the back of his head. “Yuugi’s other self. You’ve seen it, right? He’s a different person when he’s dueling. He’s going to leave soon though, so you should ask before he does.”

“How can Yuugi’s imaginary friend help?” Kaiba said with a frown. “Or leave?”

“He’s not an imaginary friend!” Jou protested. “I know it sounds crazy, but they are different people. You’ve talked to Yami; you should know.”

Kaiba remembered a strange conversation with Yuugi in his helicopter, but in the middle of everything that had been happening he hadn’t paid much attention. He’d dismissed it as Yuugi being… well, Yuugi, a weird kid who apparently suffered from an overactive imagination. The thought of someone having two distinct identities was just strange, but he assumed it could be an advanced case of multiple personality disorder. 

“You believe that sort of thing?”

“By the time we found out, it made too much sense not to.”

The brunette didn’t bother arguing. “I don’t want to tell Yuugi.”

Jou sighed. “Of course you don’t, but he might be the only one who can help. You have to do something. There’s no way you can keep going like this.”

“I don’t care,” Kaiba said coolly. “I don’t need your little friends involved. I’ll handle it. It’s bad enough you know, bonkotsu.”

“Don’t do that,” the other boy growled. A dog joke taunted him again, but he pushed it away since Kaiba hadn’t voiced any for once. “Don’t make this a fight, because I’m not biting.”

“Of course not, mutt. You must’ve finally finished obedience school.”

He would make one two seconds after Jou realized he hadn’t. “Shut up, Kaiba. I want to know why you’re so bent on keeping this a secret when there are people who could help you.”

“I don’t want anyone to know,” he snarled. “Anyone.” Their faces were only centimeters apart – Kaiba had grabbed Jounouchi’s shirt collar when he lost his temper. That was something Jou generally did, and another frightening example of how strangely Kaiba was acting. “Do you think this is a game?” the CEO demanded, voice dangerously low. “Do you think people can know about this? I’d be locked up or medicated to oblivion. Mokuba would be given to a stranger who only wanted his money. My company, my employees… This has to be a secret or a lot of people will get hurt.”

“Not from us,” the blond said forcefully. “We can help. If you’d just talk to Yami…”

There was something between them, like sparks or static, and it made Jou trail off instead of finishing his thought. Kaiba’s expression became wild. Without warning, Kaiba’s grip moved from his collar to his hair and their mouths came together. 

Jou yelped in shock and pulled back. “What the hell was that?!” he gasped. 

Kaiba’s face was unreadable. “You know what that was.”

He could barely form a coherent thought, let alone voice one, but he gave it his best shot. “Well… Yes… But why?! You hate me!”

“No.”

Jou glared. “Really? Just ‘no’? What the hell is going on here?!”

For a moment, there was a glimpse of that unusual gentleness in Kaiba’s sapphire eyes. It was gone as soon as it appeared. “It should be obvious.” The taller teen got to his feet. He started to go blank again, but he pushed past it. Instead there was a predatory gleam that was just as unsettling. “I want you,” he said bluntly. 

Jou was completely relieved at the use of Kaiba’s normal tone, but the implication of the words sank in a moment later. “You WHAT?!”

The brunette paused. “Not interested?”

“No – I… I think you must have hit your head earlier,” Jou decided. “Yeah, that’s it. You hit your head, so you’ve gone a little crazy. It’ll wear off and we can go back to normal.”

“Jounouchi.”

He took several steps back, not realizing how little space was left. “What?”

“I didn’t hit my head.” For a man who’d spent a good part of the day in a daze, he could move astonishingly fast. Kaiba had Jou pinned to the wall before the blond realized what was going on. “Tell me you don’t want this,” the taller boy challenged as he leaned over his prey.

“I – Kaiba, you’re crazy. You and I, we’re enemies and…”

“That’s not an answer, Jounouchi.” Kaiba moved in and kissed him hard, until he was as disoriented as the CEO had been when the night went insane. “Time’s running out. Yes or no.”

“I – Yes, damn you!”

Kaiba’s smirk was feral. “I thought so.”

88888888

Jou snuck out the next morning, unaware Kaiba was awake and watching. An employee offered him a ride, and the blond was tired enough to accept. Kaiba’s gaze followed the car until it was out of sight. Isono joined him, giving the young man a cup of strong coffee.

“Are you all right?” he asked. Isono had worked for Kaiba from the moment the teen seized control of KaibaCorp and was the closest thing the CEO had to a confidante. If Kaiba discussed his personal life with anyone, it would be him.

He took a sip of the hot drink before answering. “I’m fine. Have the jet readied and file a flight plan; I need to get back to work.” He wasn’t in a confiding mood. He rarely was.

“Seto-sama…” The brunette turned and raised a brow, daring him to disagree. “Yes, sir.”

88888888

Jou grumbled as he ran to Burger World to meet his friends, ignoring the lingering pain from his night’s activities. Kaiba’s behavior had the blond absolutely baffled, and he wasn’t sure what to believe or how to deal with it. He’d had to make a side trip to his place for something clean, since his little rescue had trashed the outfit he’d been wearing. He had a hickey too, and how would he explain that if someone noticed? Then he realized Kaiba had said Jou couldn’t tell his friends, not that he couldn’t ask a few questions. It put him in a better mood. 

The group spent the afternoon like they always did – lunch, the arcade, their usual light-hearted fun. Jou waited for the others to leave and challenged Yuugi to a duel. Naturally, that got Yami’s attention. A moment later the pharaoh sat in the little teen’s spot. 

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to duel you.” He focused on shuffling his deck. 

One dark eyebrow lifted in a questioning arch. “You’ve been acting strange all day, you challenged us to a duel after everyone left, and you’re refusing to look me in the eye. Something is clearly bothering you, Jounouchi-kun.”

The blond sighed. “I’ve been thinking about Battle City.” He shifted the collar of his jacket a little higher, trying to be discreet. “The Sennen Rod acted strange while you and Kaiba were dueling. What was that?”

The King of Games shrugged as his fingers danced through his cards. “Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t know much about the other Items.”

“But what would they do to a person who doesn’t know about your mystery past? I mean, for example, what would happen if I had one?”

Yami tilted his head slightly to the side, contemplating. “Interesting… The Items seem to have chosen keepers with a connection to the past. A true bearer would probably have memories of our history emerge; I doubt anything would happen to a normal person. There’s no way to be certain, of course, considering how little I recall. Does that help?”

“Yeah, that’s a load off. Thanks.” It didn’t actually tell him a damned thing, but he knew Yami was telling the truth when he said he didn’t know about the other Items. He didn’t have the answers Kaiba needed. 

“No thanks necessary. Now, I believe we were going to duel…?”

88888888

After Doma…

They were invited to the Grand Prix, of course – Kaiba wouldn’t accept any but the best for a competition meant to reassert his place at the top of the gaming industry. Yuugi had to go as the reigning champion, and having been in the top four of two major tournaments Jounouchi was a competitor as well. He was announced as the underdog when the players were presented, which pissed him off to no end despite knowing the others had played for far longer and were much more experienced. Once pictures were taken he slipped out, not wanting to attack the tournament head in front of an audience. And there was a chance of it turning to something else… He didn’t need anyone seeing him molest Kaiba. He doubted the CEO would take it well, and the look on his face wouldn’t be worth the potential backlash. Still, Jou had to admit the newest KaibaLand was pretty spectacular. He wandered for a while before stopping by a large fountain. Water poured from each of Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon’s mouths in graceful arcs.

“What are you doing?”

He turned. “Kaiba. I thought –”

“I would be Yuugi? He’s busy. A lot of people wanted to greet him, especially after the incident in the Duel Dome earlier.”

“Did you find out what happened?”

“Not yet. I have suspicions, but nothing concrete.”

“Hm. How are you feeling?” Jou asked, earlier antagonism already forgotten. He couldn’t seem to stay angry with Kaiba anymore. “A lot’s been going on.”

“I’m fine.”

“You said that last time. Have you told Mokuba?” Silence was all the answer he needed. “Kaiba, you’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m not worried about your opinion.”

“Maybe you should be! Yami plans to leave once the tournament is over. You need to talk to him before he goes or there’ll be no one left!” He’d managed to reach out to Ishizu Ishtar despite Kaiba’s demands for secrecy, keeping it nonspecific; she hadn’t had any answers.

“I don’t care.” He turned to face Jou, and the blond caught a glimpse of anger he didn’t understand. Kaiba exploded. Not really, since it was Kaiba, but as much as he’d seen the CEO get mad before. “Didn’t you think when you went into that stupid duel with Kujaku Mai? You were in bad shape, you idiot, and you knew it! Did it ever occur to you that we needed you?!”

“I had to do it. What happened to Mai was my fault.”

“Are you in love with her?” Kaiba demanded.

“I don’t know, Kaiba. Kaiba? Shit!” His blue eyes blurred, and Jou had to lunge across the little courtyard to grab the brunette before he fell into the fountain. “Kaiba!” He managed to drop into an awkward seated position, both arms wrapped around the unmoving CEO. He was even holding one of Kaiba’s hands. “Snap out of it! There’s no way to get you to your room unnoticed, and I don’t have a phone. You have your fancy coat communicator, but you said no Mokuba. Come on, I need you to wake up.” His heart nearly sputtered to a stop when Kaiba’s icy gaze finally clashed with his. He hurriedly released his grip. “Oh, thank God.”

“You said you needed me.”

“What?”

“You said you needed me and I came back.”

“Great. You can hear me while you’re… out.”

Kaiba shook his head. “Only that. Is it what you said before?”

“I don’t know. People in comas can tell if you talk to them, right? I try it just in case.” 

Kaiba’s focus began to drift again and Jou shook him. The dead look in the other teen’s eyes was terrifying. Shuttered, angry – Those were fine. At least they were alive. It didn’t matter how many times he saw his face go blank; he’d never get used to it.

“Kaiba, come on. This isn’t funny. Well, you know it’s not funny, but really! You just came back. You can do it again, right? I need you to answer me, rich boy.”

A faint chuckle was his first response. “Rich boy? I thought we were past all that.”

“That was before you scared the crap out of me.” Jou ran shaking hands through his crazy blond hair, messing it up even more. “Damn it, Kaiba, you have to stop that. And if you were pulling a prank to get me worked up, I’ll kick your ass.”

“I wouldn’t fake something like this.”

Jou managed a tense bark of laughter. “No, I guess you wouldn’t. You may be a world-class jerk, but you’re at least honest about it.”

Kaiba sat up, brushing dirt from his trench coat before pinning Jounouchi in place with a piercing stare. “You said you needed me again.” 

“I – Damn.” He pulled his legs up to his chest, hands over his eyes. “You’re right. How can I be the only one you respond to? What’s happening to you? To us?”

“I don’t know.”

“This is so screwed up. First we sleep together, and now I’m the only one who can get through to you? I don’t even know why we had sex. We’ve always fought but I’m the one person who can help you, but I should also be with my friends now. Yuugi will need us when Yami leaves.” He leapt up and kicked the fountain, ignoring the pain blossoming in his toes. Still frustrated and lacking a better target, he did it again. “Shit!”

“You have a problem with me?”

Jou rounded on the taller man. “You’re the one with a problem with me! You’ve harassed me nonstop for two years, always making me feel worthless, and suddenly we’re lovers?! No warning, no explanation?! I always thought you hated me! To top it off, I don’t even trust you!”

“I never hated you.”

The blond groaned. “Then why the insults? What did I do that was so horrible you felt the need to constantly mock me?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Not helping! Do you have any idea what sort of situation you’re putting me in?! I have to choose between you and my friends, Kaiba! I’m not going to calm down!”

Kaiba got up and caught the blond’s hand, pulled him close. “I’m not asking you to. I don’t expect you to trust me; I don’t expect you to forget. Go with your friends if you need to.”

“I’d never forgive myself if you died because I didn’t help,” Jou admitted, pressing his face against Kaiba’s shoulder.

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Yes, you do. There are all those cars on the streets just waiting for you.”

The CEO smirked. “Jounouchi, you’re being absurd.”

“Probably,” he muttered, “but it’s still true.”

Kaiba stared at the fountain. “Did you ever wonder how I kept this nonsense quiet while we were dealing with the Doma situation?”

Jou considered, frowning. “No, but I should have. With the way you’ve been blacking out, someone should’ve caught on.”

“I didn’t. Do you know why?” The blond shook his head, so he continued. “I was worried about you. I could’ve killed you when I realized what you’d done, sacrificing yourself for Mai. I was ready to go after Dartz alone, but your friends had to bring your body. You were gone and all I could do was stare at an empty shell.”

“Then what?”

“I’m sure you’ve been told.” He pulled away, reverting to his normal cold behavior. “Go back to the others. You’re competing tomorrow, and your friends will be worried.”

Jou drew back. “I guess.” He ran off, leaving Kaiba by the fountain, and he pretended not to see the emotions in his eyes. Neither of them were ready to handle it yet.

88888888

Yami and Yuugi prepared to leave for Egypt after they won the Grand Prix as the others did the same. Jounouchi struggled feverishly to scrape together every yen he could, knowing he wouldn’t have enough despite his best efforts. When he saw Kaiba waiting outside the restaurant, he breathed a sigh of relief. He then cursed the other boy’s stupidity.

No one knew about their strange relationship except Isono, who often chauffeured Jou to and from the mansion, and a few members of Kaiba’s household. He’d thought about telling his friends, but something held him back and Kaiba didn’t comment. He was grateful for that.

“Why are you here?” he demanded once his shift ended and he’d collected his share of the tips. “If you’d zoned out, there’s no knowing what could go wrong. This isn’t the sort of place you should be vulnerable in.”

“I’m fine, Jounouchi. Nothing happened.”

“Thankfully.” Jou grabbed his arm and hurried down the block to the CEO’s car, which was only slightly more discreet than his limo. At least he’d had enough sense to tone down his clothes. “The last thing you need is to be jumped by a gang.”

“Gangs aren’t foolish enough to cross me.”

“You’re crazy if you believe that. They’re willing to take on anyone who might have a few yen, and I guarantee you look like you’ve got way more than that. Everyone knows you’re rich. You might be able to fight, but ten on one is something even you couldn’t handle.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Most of them know me well enough to steer clear unless they run with Hirutani.”

“Hirutani?”

“We’re not discussing my past right now, Kaiba.”

Kaiba relaxed against the black leather seat as the car pulled out, studying his companion. “Something’s bothering you.”

“Yami’s ready to go and I don’t have the cash,” Jou admitted. “And I’m not asking for your money, just so we’re clear. You wanted to know and I told you.”

“I know you weren’t.” Kaiba was of the opinion Jou wouldn’t ask for help unless it was a life or death situation and that it was questionable even then. The blond couldn’t argue; he was probably right. They both knew Kaiba would make it work anyway. “Tell me about Hirutani.”

He groaned. “You won’t give up, will you?” Kaiba shook his head, a smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth. “Fine. I used to run with Hirutani’s gang in middle school.”

“Why?”

“For the same reasons a lot of people join gangs, I guess. I was broke and angry with the world.” Jou shrugged. “It didn’t work out.”

“What happened?”

“I grew up. They were doing things I didn’t agree with, so I left. They made threats about the time you first showed up, but the three of us – me, Honda, and Yuugi – got rid of them. I had quite the reputation. The other gangs are still scared of me, but Hirutani likes to pop in and cause trouble, or send some of his goons to give it a go. If he found out about this thing with us he’d probably try to have me killed.” His eyes said it wasn’t a probability, either; it was definite.

“You have scars,” Kaiba said. 

“They mostly aren’t from my gang days.” Jou studied him, wondering if there was any way he’d be able to cut the conversation short. Knowing Kaiba, there wasn’t. “Why all the prying questions? Is something going on you’re not telling me about?”

The CEO shrugged. “Call it curiosity.”

“Well, forget it. We’re not having this discussion.” He crossed his arms defiantly.

“Tell me and I’ll tell you about mine.”

“Really?” Kaiba nodded. Jou underwent a brief internal struggle; he really wanted to know why his lover’s back was thick with scars that made his look like nothing. Some of them even reached his neck, perilously close to opening an artery. Seeing them had answered some of his questions about Kaiba’s wardrobe. “All right, all right. You win, again. And stop smirking.”

The other teen’s face became absolutely expressionless. “I’m not smirking.”

“Sure. Anyway. The scars… Well, a lot of them are from my father. He’s an alcoholic and gets violent when he’s drunk. That’s why I work so much and why I don’t invite friends over. He can’t hold down a job for long, so I cover the bills.”

“Why have you stayed in school? The tuition costs can’t help.”

“The school waived my tuition, but I stayed for Shizuka. I want to be a good example even though I don’t see her much, and I’m only sticking it out with my dad until I graduate. After that I can get a real job and try to make something of myself. Maybe I’ll even go it to college, but I doubt it.”

“You surprise me, Jounouchi.” 

Jou froze. It sounded almost like a compliment, and those were always elusive. “Why?”

“I used to think you were an idiot too shallow to know what a hard life was. Now I wonder if I underestimated you.” He paused for effect, a vicious glint sparkling in his sapphire eyes. “Well, obviously not entirely. You’re still nowhere near as good a duelist as I am.”

“Hey!” Kaiba chuckled. It was unusual but Jou liked it; it made the other boy seem more human, almost normal. The blond subsided. “You were going to tell me about yours?”

“I’m sure you can guess.” The warmth was gone even faster than it had come. His tone was as hard and flat as it had ever been, which told Jou exactly what he wanted to know.

“Gozaburo.” How could Jou not make the connection when Kaiba’s eyes were suddenly full of hate? The CEO never discussed what they’d seen in Noa’s crazy virtual world, preferring to ignore it as he did the magic that surrounded his rival, but there weren’t a lot of people with the guts or stupidity to hurt him in any way and they’d seen how the man loathed Kaiba.

Kaiba nodded. “After he adopted Mokuba and I, he tried turning me into the perfect heir. When I wasn’t progressing quickly enough for him, he took a belt to my back until it was raw.”

“Does Mokuba know?”

“No. I did everything I could to keep Gozaburo away from him.” They pulled up to the mansion and the CEO reached for his lover. “Stay the night?”

Jou hesitated. “I should go. Dad gets mad when I’m not home. And wouldn’t Mokuba notice?” He was grasping at straws and he knew it.

“He’s with a friend tonight. He begged me to let him go for a week.”

That actually surprised him. “And you did? No bodyguard or anything?”

“Of course not. I put trackers in his clothes.”

Jou sighed. “He’s thirteen. You have to trust him to look out for himself at some point.”

“It’s not him I don’t trust; you’ve seen how many times he’s been kidnapped by my enemies. Besides, I didn’t ask you to come over so we could argue.”

“Sorry.” Kaiba accepted the apology without another word, but it surprised Jou. He hadn’t expected to mean it. 

“Have you eaten?”

Jounouchi’s stomach rumbled, answering the question for him. “…No.” He was allowed a dinner break at the restaurant, but he’d spent it on his never-ending piles of homework. 

“Come inside and I’ll see what we have.”

Jou trailed after him, uncomfortable despite the many times he’d been there. The kitchen alone was the size of his entire apartment. Kaiba opened the fridge and pulled out several items.

“You don’t need to cook. I didn’t even know you could cook.”

“My mother taught me when I was a child. With the hours I keep it helps to be able to throw something together if the staff’s asleep.”

“I can’t do anything fancy, but do you need a hand?”

Kaiba passed him the potatoes. “Wash these and slice them thinly.”

The companionable silence unnerved Jou, who preferred their normal behavior. Despite their odd sort-of friendship with benefits, they fought like crazy. A few days before they’d had a particularly bad one that led to Jou walking out. It took Kaiba having another episode for him to come back, something he still felt bad about. Angry or not, he shouldn’t have waited to admit he’d overreacted when he knew what could happen to Kaiba if he wasn’t around. Still, the gentle quiet was too much like being a couple. 

“Kaiba? Are we…” He sighed, struggling with words. “Are we together or something?”

Kaiba looked over at him, somehow still efficiently frying the tempura despite it. “Why?”

“Because we’ve never really defined what’s going on. We fight constantly. We have sex occasionally and spend time together, but we haven’t discussed it. I don’t think you’d bother with me at all if I couldn’t snap you out of your episodes.”

The other teen fished the last vegetables from the oil with a pair of chopsticks and dried his hands before stalking over and backing Jou up against the counter. “We spend our free time together. We’re lovers. What does that normally make?”

The way Kaiba was leaning over him was meant to intimidate, but Jou didn’t want to show him that it was working. He silently cursed the height difference. “…A couple…?”

“Exactly.” He grabbed a fistful of Jou’s hair and pulled him up into a searing kiss. 

88888888

The next time they had a moment to themselves was while on the boat to Kul Elna, waiting to say good-bye to Yami. He had recovered his true name – Atem – and was finally ready to go. All he needed was an opponent for one final duel. They both volunteered, but in the end it had to be Yuugi. He had to prove he could stand without the pharaoh’s assistance, and really, no one knew the spirit’s tricks better. 

“Were you okay while I was gone?” Jou asked ten minutes after joining Kaiba on deck. 

“Well enough.”

“I would’ve been there if I could.” The apology didn’t mean as much as he wished it did, but it was all he could give. He’d needed to be there for Yuugi more.

“You had your own responsibilities.”

“That doesn’t make it okay. Any more since Yami’s – I mean Atem’s – memory world?”

Kaiba hesitated for a telltale fraction of a second before replying. “No.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

He sighed. “There was one. It didn’t last long.” The CEO watched the shore stream by before sharing what he’d seen. “The girl was in Yami’s memories. She died in the priest’s arms.”

“Which one? There were like six.” Kaiba gave him a pointed look and Jou grimaced. “Oh. The priest. Atem’s cousin, the one who looks exactly like you. What happened to her?”

“She sacrificed her life to save him. The tablet I always see is her dragon.”

“Are you really okay with Yami going?” Jou asked in frustration. “There’s bound to be something he could do, especially now that he has his memories and all the Items. Once he’s gone everyone who might’ve been able to help will be dead. How are you okay with that?!”

“Jou, please. Not now.”

“If I don’t ask now, there won’t be any point!”

“I already accepted that. Not tonight, Katsuya. I’m not in the mood for an argument. Let it go. After tomorrow we can all start over, without the craziness that’s followed us for the past few years. Isn’t that enough?”

88888888

Jou met Kaiba at the railing as they followed the Nile to Cairo hours after they returned to the boat. “Yuugi’s asleep.” His companion let out a hum, letting him know he was listening. “He cried for more than an hour before Anzu and I convinced him to take a sleeping pill.”

“How long was Yami with him?”

Jou frowned. “I’m not really sure. Yuugi didn’t say anything until his duel with Pegasus, but if Yami was really in the Puzzle I guess he would’ve shown up when Yuugi solved it, around the time we became friends.” His gaze slid over to his lover. “Why the sudden interest?”

The taller teen shrugged. “Isn’t that how polite chatting goes?”

“Like you’ve ever cared about something like that. You’re worried about Yuugi. I know you like him despite the way you act, at least as much as you like anyone beside Mokuba.”

“Or you?”

“…I guess.”

“Still so unsure of yourself,” Kaiba murmured as he tugged the blond close. “I wouldn’t bother if I didn’t like you, Katsuya. You should know that about me.”

A bloodcurdling scream resounded through the entire boat, shaking the teens out of their private world. Jou pulled back, face pale. “Yuugi!”

He practically flew through the narrow passages below deck to reach the other boy’s room, almost running into Malik and Honda as they came from the other direction. Together they raced into his cabin. Yuugi was thrashing wildly despite Anzu’s efforts to hold him still. Thin sobs spilled from his raw throat, eyes squeezed shut as tears leaked from beneath the lids. 

“Nightmare,” Anzu explained as Jou pinned the smaller teen’s arms. Honda took the legs. “At first I thought it was just a dream – he kept saying ‘Yami’. The scream’s when it got bad.”

“How long until those pills wear off?” the blond barked at Malik.

“They’re supposed to last for at least four hours, so it’ll be a while.”

“Problem, bonkotsu?” Kaiba asked from the doorway.

“Yuugi!” Mokuba cried from behind his brother.

“Kaiba, unless you can wake him up you’re not helping,” Jou said through gritted teeth as Yuugi inadvertently punched him in the ear. 

The CEO shrugged and elbowed Jou aside. Without warning, he slapped Yuugi across the face, hard, then did so again on the other cheek. 

“Yami!” Yuugi shrieked as he woke up in a panic. His eyes met Kaiba’s as the dream died, confusion taking its place. “Kaiba…kun…?”

“Get a hold of yourself,” Kaiba ordered icily. “I’ve seen you face almost certain death without a sound. Now look at you! What would Yami think?”

 

“I – Yami is –”

“Yami is dead,” Kaiba said with deliberate cruelty. “You told him to go and he did. The sooner you deal with that, the better.”

“Kaiba!” Jounouchi gaped. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m being sensible. The rest of you were only going to coddle him and let him mope like a child. Enough is enough. You’re still alive, Yuugi; act like it.”

“That’s it!” Honda snarled, advancing on the taller boy.

“No! Honda-kun, he’s right. Yami… Yami wouldn’t want me to act like this.” Yuugi stared at his lap. “I just don’t know what to do without him.”

Kaiba studied him, arms crossed. “Finish high school. Go to university or get a job. Your grandfather would take you in a second, or you could come to work for me; I’m sure we could find something that suits your skills. Keep your place as King of Games.”

The little teen shook his head. “I don’t want to duel anymore.”

“You went through hell getting that title, even if it wasn’t what you were after. Both of you did. Would he abandon something you loved if you were gone?” Yuugi shook his head mutely as he pressed on. “Then don’t give up without a fight or I’ll take you out myself. You probably couldn’t beat me in a duel now anyway. Not without him whispering in your ear.”

“I could! If I could beat Yami –” His voice caught on the name, but he rallied enough to keep going. “I can still beat you.”

“Prove it. I’m organizing another tournament for after graduation. You’ll be expected to participate. You only have to play the last match.” He brushed out of the room, taking Mokuba with him. The others stared at his retreating back.

“Was Kaiba being… nice?” Anzu asked. It was a distinctly unfamiliar sight.

“As nice as Kaiba knows how to be,” Honda said dryly.

Yuugi curled into fetal position. His hand went to where the Puzzle generally hung but tightened to a fist when all he encountered was his shirt. “I don’t want to.”

“You know he’s right,” Jou said as gently as he could. 

“He made a lot of sense, but… It’s like killing Yami all over again.” He shook his head. “Atem. It’s like killing Atem all over again.”

Malik slipped out, leaving their little group clustered around Yuugi’s trembling form. “You didn’t kill him,” Honda said. “He was already dead.”

Anzu slapped him upside the head. “That doesn’t help, you idiot.”

Ryou stepped in. With everything that had been happening, they’d almost forgotten he was onboard. “Can I talk to Yuugi-kun alone?”

Jou frowned but nodded. “Sure. Just… Be careful, okay?”

The Brit smiled thinly and waited till they were out, then shut the door behind them.

88888888

Jou was back on deck staring at the stars when Kaiba showed up. “Are you all right?” 

The blond turned. “I don’t know. Yami – Atem was my friend too. Still, we have to be strong for Yuugi’s sake.” He looked out over the river. “That was a nice thing you did in there.”

“The slapping or the orders?” the CEO asked.

He managed a chuckle. “Both. I guess he needed that no-nonsense attitude.”

“None of us can understand what losing Yami was like for him. Without knowing what he’s going through, sympathy is useless. He needs his life to return to some semblance of order so he can pick up the pieces and move on.”

“Who knew you were such a softie?”

“Despite our many differences, Yuugi is a good person going through something terrible. He’s earned my respect, so I’ll help if he needs it.” Kaiba scowled. “And I am not a softie.”

“If you insist.” He sighed. “How do you deal with losing someone you loved so much?”

“I know Yami was important to you too.”

“I can’t believe he’s gone. He was unbeatable, you know? Sure, he had his bad times, but there was so much drive in him. It’s hard to think I won’t hear him laugh or say something about the heart of the cards or anything like that anymore. Yami – Atem seemed more real, more alive, than basically anyone I know.”

“He couldn’t exist as a spirit forever. As much as he and Yuugi were happy as one person, he must have wanted to be himself again.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way. He didn’t even know who he was for so long, I started thinking of him as just being part of Yuugi. What will we do without him? What now?”

88888888

It turned out the answer to his ‘what now’ was nowhere near as interesting as he’d hoped. High school ended as much of it was spent – in a state of extreme boredom. Kaiba only turned up only long enough to take the exit exams, but Jou spent the last weeks cramming and hoping he’d miraculously pass the college entrance exam and be accepted despite his consistently low grades. He even succeeded, though he had some suspicions about how it had happened. Graduation was tedious too, a long ceremony with speeches no one heard or cared about. Still, the teens rejoiced when it was over, glad to say goodbye to high school and move on with life.

The gang took turns trying to get Yuugi to go to college, but he seemed content to stay and take care of the game shop while his grandfather returned to his digs. The King of Games even rejected a lucrative job offer at KaibaCorp. His friends knew losing Yami had stolen his enthusiasm for almost everything, though he was trying to be brave about it. 

Anzu was off to dance in America as planned, and the group debated having Yuugi go with her for a while. They thought he needed a vacation to get his mind off things. Ultimately, Jou nixed the idea. Yuugi’s sole comfort was the shop he and Yami had spent so much time in, and Jou had no intention of taking that from him. 

Ryou was returning to England though Yuugi was more willing to discuss Atem with him than the others. He told them what he could, but he had his own demons to fight and couldn’t do it in Domino. Yuugi wanted to be with the memories of his other half; Ryou wanted to pretend Bakura had never existed. Before he went he promised he’d come back when he was ready. 

Honda left with Otogi almost as soon as graduation was over. The general theory was that they were operating out of Industrial Illusions HQ in America as Otogi worked on Dungeon Dice Monsters, but there had been talk of Europe. All they really knew was that Honda was trying for a pilot’s license. That left only Jounouchi, Yuugi and the Kaiba brothers in Domino.

Kaiba went through with his plan for another Duel Monsters tournament, called ‘Battle City Supremacy’. The main event would be the same as the first Battle City, but the finals would be along the lines of the Grand Prix. He knew Yuugi wasn’t up to the strain of a long melee, though when asked he refused to acknowledge that as the reason for his decision. 

“Good luck, Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi told him as they waited for the general competition to be officially declared open. 

“Yeah! This time, I’ll actually beat that Kaiba!”

Yuugi laughed, making the blond hope he’d be okay someday. “Is he even playing?”

He scowled, keeping up his act. “Of course he is. He wouldn’t pass up a shot at calling me a losing dog or taking you on.” He paused, wondering if it was safe to ask a question that had been bothering him. “Hey, what deck are you using?”

Yuugi’s gaze fell to the ground, and Jou was afraid he’d upset his friend again. Still, the other teen answered evenly enough. “Ours. The one we used together.”

“So Black Magician and Kuriboh and all your favorites?” Yuugi nodded. “God cards?”

“No. I won’t use them again if I can help it. I don’t think I could bear to look at them.”

Jou crouched to be level with the seated Yuugi. “Can you still draw Black Magician?”

Yuugi pulled out the deck in response, shuffled it, and flipped the top to reveal Black Magician. Never once had he even looked at the stack. He did it several more times in quick succession, revealing that one card without fail. “What do you think?”

“Mahaad was Atem’s guardian.”

“And I’m part of him,” Yuugi explained. “Atem sealed his soul in the Puzzle to stop Zorc, but some parts moved on and reincarnated as me. That’s why I could free him. Black Magician bound himself to Atem, and he’ll stay that way until he’s entirely at rest.”

“So he’ll serve you the same way he did Yami.”

“Not exactly. He loves Yami, not me.”

“Oh, Yuugi,” Jou sighed. 

The loudspeakers crackled, interrupting their discussion. Mokuba’s voice boomed across the square, giving instructions and explaining how to reach the finals, which were to be held at the KaibaLand Duel Dome. 

“Just ten monster tokens?” Jou said. “No treasure hunt or secret location this time?”

“There’s a big crowd. Maybe Kaiba-kun didn’t want to make things too complicated.”

 

Jou nodded, but he suspected Kaiba was trying to help Yuugi given his usual penchant for dramatics. He spotted the CEO and excused himself, assuring Yuugi he’d be back in a minute and that he just wanted to get a drink. 

“How is he?” Kaiba asked as Jou joined him. They hadn’t seen much of one another, their weeks filled with finishing school as Kaiba worked slavishly to get the tournament ready. 

“Holding on. He remade their deck, still draws Black Magician like a pro.”

“Will he be able to win?”

Jou shrugged. “Hard to say. He doesn’t have any of his old fire.”

“We’ll see, won’t we? You’ll be keeping him close.” It wasn’t a question.

“With Anzu and the others gone, where else would he be? His grandpa all but pushed him out the door this morning.” He glanced up at his lover. “Thanks, by the way. For…” Jou gestured at the horde of duelists surrounding them. “All this. For forcing Yuugi to remember he’s alive even if Atem’s gone. For being the nice person that’s in there somewhere.”

“I am not nice. This is entirely self-serving.”

“I won’t buy it if you say you’re just after another shot at him. You want him to win.”

“No, I want him to wake up and get on with life. I’d be more than happy to beat him.”

“Who even says you’ll be in the finals? What if I win? Did you think of that?”

 

Kaiba looked down at him. “No.”

“Jeez, Kaiba, way to have faith in someone you claim you care about.” It was more sardonic than insulted. He’d gotten used to the CEO’s peculiar sense of humor.

“You should get back to Yuugi,” he said, ignoring the remark. “He might start worrying if you’re gone much longer.”

“Yeah, yeah. Really, Seto… Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now go before I decide to take you out in the first round.”

Jou, not entirely sure he was joking, hurried back to Yuugi. He was willing to swear Kaiba laughed his evil, scary laugh at the hasty retreat. The area around him had certainly emptied unusually quickly.

88888888

“There wasn’t much competition,” Yuugi commented as he and Jou made their way to the Duel Dome for the quarterfinals. 

“Not really. I saw Leon and Rebecca, though; they’ll make it. Any you’d worry about?”

Yuugi shook his head. “Only if Leon-kun’s brother is playing. I don’t have the cards I’d need to beat his Valkyrie combo with me.”

“I doubt he was invited. Kaiba doesn’t like him, especially after the crap he pulled last time.” Jou was glad to see Yuugi interested in the tournament, however slightly. Hopefully dueling would help. “All right!” he shouted. “Today I’ll beat that rich jerk!”

Yuugi laughed. “You say that every time.”

Jou pouted. “Don’t you believe I can do it?” he asked as pathetically as he could.

 

Judging by his friend’s smile, he didn’t, but Yuugi wouldn’t say it. “You’ll do great.”

The stadium was packed, and Yuugi reluctantly detached himself to go to his seat. Kaiba was there, no doubt having mercilessly slaughtered his competition. Jou had heard rumors of the CEO forcing them to remake their decks with better cards – whether to humiliate them or to put them on more even footing, he wasn’t sure. Kaiba was capable of either depending on his mood. It was entirely possible he’d done so out of some unholy combination of the two. Leon entered a few minutes later and joined Jou and Kaiba on stage, Rebecca not far behind. The other finalists were newcomers, young but capable. He’d caught glimpses of a few duels during the free-for-all.

Mokuba ran onstage and grinned at the competitors. “Everyone ready? Nii-sama?”

Kaiba nodded. “Make the announcement.”

The younger Kaiba listed the eight finalists and gave the order of matches. Each of them was up against someone they’d never played before. The newcomers were up against veterans, and he hoped it wouldn’t get too ugly. Jou’s pair was first. It went well, and he gave Yuugi a thumbs-up as he stepped down. Kaiba did as predicted – his duel was a horrible massacre. Jou couldn’t help feeling sorry for the other guy as he ran from the CEO and his pitiless laugh, nearly in tears. Rebecca and Leon won their matches, though more gently. The next round would be harder: Jou had seen all three play and knew any of them would be difficult to beat. He just hoped he wouldn’t get Kaiba yet. 

“In the first round of the semi-finals,” Mokuba called, “Jounouchi Katsuya and Rebecca Hawkins! The second match will be Kaiba Seto and Leon Wilson!”

After that, Mokuba announced a short break, and Yuugi came to the stage for his friends. Rebecca fastened herself to his arm, but he politely extracted it and hurried to Leon, asking about Zigfried and any tournaments he’d joined. Rebecca sat pouting as Kaiba came up behind Jou. 

“You were hoping she’d get through to him.”

“Yeah,” Jou admitted tiredly. “Or that he’d at least talk to her. He normally wouldn’t push someone away like that, but Rebecca knows what happened. She’ll try to understand.”

Mokuba ran over to his brother. “Nii-sama! I just wanted to wish you good luck before the next round. You too, Jounouchi-kun!”

Jou grinned. “Thanks, kid. Looks like it’ll be me and Kaiba in the finals, huh?”

“Hn. As if a bonkotsu duelist like you can defeat a decent player, let alone an American champion. The girl will destroy you.”

Jou growled. “She will not! I’ll show you, moneybags!”

“Don’t fight,” Mokuba pleaded. “Please?”

The blond grinned. “Fine, I won’t argue with him. Okay? I’ll save it for the game.”

“Save what for the game?” Yuugi asked as he joined them. He was playing with his Duel Disk, and one hand kept going to his deck as if to reassure himself it was there. 

Jou pulled him aside. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

His face fell. “It’s just… I almost never dueled without him. Even in the last one, he was still there. I keep expecting him to ask if I’m ready and to make comments about Kaiba-kun, or even to just call me aibou like he used to.”

“Hey. Are you really up for this? You know Kaiba won’t go easy on you.”

“Let it be, bonkotsu.” The CEO stepped up as Mokuba returned to the podium. “He’ll win or lose on his own. What you say won’t make a difference until he’s ready to hear it. He’s gone, Yuugi. You can keep crying about it, or you can get up and move on like he wanted you to. You owe it to him to keep playing.”

“I know what I owe him!” Yuugi snapped, shocking them, but the defiant air faded quickly. “I just don’t know if I can…”

Mokuba said something to Kaiba through his communicator and the CEO glanced at them. “Time to duel. Let’s go, bonkotsu.” Jou hurried after him, but Kaiba paused again. “Yuugi, you have to choose; we can’t make your decision for you. I’ll see you in the finals.”

“Hey!” Jou yelped. “Who says you’ll win?”

“I always win.”

88888888

And he did, against both Leon and Jou. It hadn’t been too embarrassing of a loss for the blond though – he put up a hell of a fight. He hadn’t seen Kaiba duel so often for nothing. There had been a few points where he could’ve won. Only for Kaiba play his Blue Eyes, of course. He probably shouldn’t have taken control of the other one; Kaiba hadn’t liked that one bit. 

So it was down to Kaiba and Yuugi, as always. Yuugi took his place and managed to smile and wave for his fans, though his heart wasn’t in it. His deck was shuffled and slipped into his Duel Disk as Kaiba did the same across from him. 

It was immediately obvious that Yuugi was off his game. Kaiba killed his monsters and avoided traps with ease, and Yuugi’s life points dropped like a rock. Whispers spread through the crowd, saying something was wrong and didn’t he look different? Jou heard it and winced, hoping Yuugi wasn’t listening. When the little duelist stiffened, the blond knew he was. 

Yuugi got intense, and for a moment Jou almost thought Yami was up there. He managed to take down one of Kaiba’s dragons while summoning Black Magician. The apprentice soon followed. Then Kaiba not only revived his Blue Eyes but fused them. Black Magician Girl was destroyed in one horrific burst and Yuugi’s life points were barely above zero. 

Yami always pulled off a last minute miracle when he was in a tight spot, and Kaiba obviously wondered if Yuugi could do the same. Jou did too. He doubted Yuugi could bear losing at something Yami excelled in. Yuugi stared at the ground as the crowd held their breath. The CEO tensed as the King of Games looked up and smiled. 

He started by destroying the Blue Eyes fusion. Each dragon had more attack points than the magician though, and it wasn’t clear how Yuugi intended to scrape a win. 

“Really, Kaiba-kun, you should have seen this coming already. I’ve used this combo against you before.”

A Fusion card flipped. Yuugi pulled Buster Blader, creating Black Paladin. Kaiba only had 1000 life points, and with three dragons on the field Black Paladin’s attack was raised by 1500, putting it 1400 over Blue Eyes. If he could attack, Yuugi would win. One more card was played – Quick Attack. Kaiba countered with a trap, but Yuugi had anticipated it. Remove Trap turned over, destroying Kaiba’s card, and the attack met with no further obstacle. Privately, Jou wondered if that had really been all Kaiba had left. He eventually decided it was; no one could be lucky all the time, and Kaiba would never throw a game. Probably.

“The winner is Mutou Yuugi!” Mokuba shouted as the crowd cheered. 

88888888

Jou waited outside as Yuugi greeted fans, accepted their congratulations, and signed autographs. It was easier to breathe away from the crowd. Jou liked people, all in all, but that many so close together made him a little uncomfortable at times.

“What are you thinking?”

He didn’t have to look to know it was Kaiba. “Nothing much. Sorry you lost.”

“Is that so.”

“Well, no. I’m probably supposed to be, but I’m really not. It was good for Yuugi. I almost thought he was Atem up there. The way he smiled…”

“I was worried he’d given up.”

“Yeah, me too. I could practically hear Yami yelling at him for those first few plays. I think he’ll be able to hold on now.” There was a heavy thud behind him, and Jou whipped around at the sound. “Kaiba!”

He was in bad shape. His skin was bone pale, and his breathing was eerily shallow. Jou’s gaze flicked to the communicator on his trench coat, but he resisted. He managed to shift the brunette until the CEO was leaning on him. The taller teen weighed almost nothing, his shirt atypically loose, and Jou realized he hadn’t been eating right, probably for weeks.

“Kaiba…” Jou thought about their discussion of his episodes. “Come on, Kaiba. I need you.” When there was no response, Jou almost hyperventilated. The only reason he hadn’t gone straight to Yami for help had been because he could handle it himself, but now the one way he knew wasn’t cutting it. “I need you to wake up, okay? Just open your eyes. Seto, please snap out of it. Wake up. Damn it, if you don’t look at me right now I’ll never forgive you. Come on, I need you to come back to me.”

The entreaties weren’t working and Jounouchi was ready to panic. He thought about going for Yuugi but decided against it. He wouldn’t know what to do and it wouldn’t be fair to put that kind of pressure on him. Mokuba might be able to help, but the CEO had made his feelings quite clear where telling his brother was concerned. Shifting his grip on the other teen, Jou scanned the area. They were far enough from the Duel Dome that no one was going to just walk by, but they weren’t likely to get help either. Jou struck gold when he realized there was a pay phone nearby. He had enough change to make a call or two, and Jou had been given the numbers for Isono and Kaiba’s doctor in case of precisely such an emergency. 

The blond pulled away and shrugged out of his denim jacket, using it to pillow the CEO’s head. He also got Kaiba out of his own coat and draped it over him when he saw the way he began to shiver once Jou let go. After a brief debate, he set Kaiba’s Duel Disk aside. Once the other teen was as comfortable as possible given the circumstances Jou made an awkward run for the phone, keeping Kaiba in view the entire time. He dug the coins out of his pocket and fed them to the machine before dialing Isono’s cell phone, only to get voice mail. 

“Damn! Shit, crap – Isono-san, it’s Jounouchi. Kaiba’s out again. We’re near the dragon coaster and he’s not responding. I’m going to try the doctor, but hurry up and get this message!”

It took most of his self-control not to slam the receiver onto the base. Instead, Jou drew several deep breaths, set it down, and reached back into his pocket. He had enough to make a second call, but barely. If it didn’t go through he’d have to seriously consider ignoring Kaiba’s wishes to get the help he needed. To his immense relief it connected at once. 

“Sasaki.”

“Sasaki-sensei! Kaiba, he’s unconscious and I can’t wake him up.”

“Jounouchi-san?”

“Yeah. I tried Isono-san but I only got his voice mail, and he seems really bad!”

“How so?” the doctor asked calmly.

Jou shifted to get a better view. “He’s pale, shivering, and he’s barely breathing. I think he’s lost a lot of weight too.”

“The symptoms are consistent with a negative reaction to stress. Has he done anything strenuous that might have triggered it?”

“He was in today’s tournament, but that’s it. He can do stuff like that in his sleep,” Jou answered, restless. “I can’t wake him up, and I don’t like leaving him alone.”

“Do you know if anything happened to Kaiba-sama in the past that may have caused post-traumatic stress disorder?”

“Um,” Jou muttered, thinking about Gozaburo, Noa, and horrible scars. “Maybe.”

“That could be what’s wrong with him. Where are you?”

“KaibaLand, near the dragon roller coaster. Isono-san should still be at the Duel Dome, so if you can reach him…? I’m out of change for the phone.”

“I’ll see about contacting Isono-san. Go back to Kaiba-sama. Keep him warm and talk to him. Hopefully he’ll hear you.”

The blond hung up, too worried to care he was being rude. The doctor would have to understand. Jounouchi sat down next to the CEO and arranged his limp body so his head was in Jou’s lap, though he made sure the heavy trench coat stayed in place. It was late March and pleasantly warm, but the sun had already set and Kaiba kept shivering even after Jou wrapped his arms around him. He started talking in a low murmur, keeping up a steady stream of entreaties. He thought he heard footsteps at one point, but when he looked around no one was there.

“Seto, please,” he whispered. “You’re scaring me. Can’t you be your normal bossy self and tell me what to do? I need you to come back, you jerk. I haven’t beaten you in a duel or anything. Or are you going to leave too? Yami’s gone, and Shizuka, Honda, and Anzu. Yuugi can’t help himself right now, so what can he do for me? You’re not going to leave me alone, are you? Mokuba needs you, damn it. And Yuugi, you’re doing so much good for him.

“I need you. I never thought I’d see the day, did you? Please wake up or I’m going to start making bargains with every god I can think of, and you know you don’t want more magic in your life. Open your eyes, or even your mouth. Call me a losing dog; I don’t care. As long as you’re awake, it doesn’t matter. I need you to come back to me.”

Jou didn’t know if he could count on privacy with the tournament over, and he had no idea how long he had before Yuugi looked for him, if he hadn’t already. His desperate musings were interrupted by quick footfalls nearby. The blond tightened his grip on his lover.

“Jounouchi-san!”

Jou let out the breath he’d been holding as he spotted the owner of the voice. “Isono-san! Hurry up, I don’t know how much time we have until someone else gets here, and I can’t wake him up, and I called the doctor, and why isn’t he waking up?!”

“I don’t know. Hurry; the car is at the back entrance. People are headed this way.”

Jou jogged after him as the older man carried his employer, holding Kaiba’s Duel Disk and their coats. “Where’s Mokuba? And Yuugi?”

“Mokuba-sama met some of his friends and intends to spend the remainder of the evening enjoying the rides. I haven’t seen Mutou-san since he left the Duel Dome half an hour ago.”

“Half an hour?” The blond felt awful for abandoning his best friend, but he swore he’d find a way to make it up to him. Kaiba just needed him more at the moment. 

They made it to the car unnoticed, and Isono all but dumped his employer on Jou in the back seat before pulling out. The smaller teen resumed his pleas, but they were as ineffectual as the previous ones. They broke at least a dozen traffic laws if the smell of burnt rubber was any indication, but they weren’t pulled over so Jou didn’t care. Once they reached the mansion, Isono carried the CEO in with the blond following right after him. Kaiba was settled into bed, Jou waiting until Isono left the room to call the doctor again before he set their Duel Disks on the bedside table and curled up next to him. When his efforts continued to fail, he switched tactics.

“I’ll call those crazy Egyptians if you don’t wake up soon, I swear,” he threatened – not meaning it, since evil or not Malik creeped him out. He couldn’t forget nearly killing Yuugi on Malik’s orders. “They might know something. I’ll even carve those freaky sealing symbols into you if that’s what it takes. Damn it, Kaiba, I need you to wake up or I’ll do it.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” the CEO said in a raspy whisper as he moved for the first time in over an hour. 

Jou’s heart stopped for a moment. “You’re awake. You’re awake! Damn it, you shaved ten years off my life, you jerk! Isono! He’s awake!”

Kaiba’s eyes were only half open and if he was still pale and cold, at least it was a start. “Stop shouting, Katsuya. My head is ready to split open as it is.”

“I’ll shout if I want; you had me worried sick. What happened?! One second I’m talking to you, next thing I know you’re passed out and nothing I say is getting through!”

“I don’t know. I could hear you, I just… couldn’t answer.”

The doctor stepped in, but Jou didn’t back away. If anything, he moved closer.

“Kaiba-sama. You seem better.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Kaiba snapped. “I’m awake, not better.”

Sasaki inclined his head. “I mean it’s better that you regained consciousness. We were worried. Jounouchi-san, I need to examine Kaiba-sama. If you’d give us a minute…?”

Jou shook his head. “I’m not leaving. What would you do if he went under again?”

The doctor was ready to argue, but Kaiba cut him off. “Stay.”

If he needed confirmation Jou was afraid, the fact he didn’t say anything about not being a dog was it. He just slid over enough for the doctor to have room. Except for an occasional bit about stress and overwork, they didn’t hear anything useful. Finally, Sasaki beckoned Jou to the far side of the room. He obliged, but only once he made sure he’d still be able to see Kaiba. 

“I’m worried, Jounouchi-san. You and Kaiba-sama are close?”

 

The blond blushed, but he nodded. Personal embarrassment meant nothing when a life was on the line. “We’re… together, so yeah.”

The doctor was unfazed. “He trusts you. More, you’re the only person who can bring him back. I’m not a psychiatrist, but in my opinion there has been some sort of trauma that resulted in his mind revolving around a single fixed point to the exclusion of all else.”

“I really don’t know what you’re getting at, doc.”

“Kaiba-sama is on the verge of a breakdown,” the older man said bluntly. “He won’t take the medications I prescribed, and though I have tried to convince him many times he refuses to curtail his work hours or seek therapy. My only options are to send him to the hospital under a psychiatric hold or order that he be monitored around the clock, and given your closeness and ability to reach him I suggest you be the one to do so.”

“Seriously? All the time?”

“With a special emphasis on nights. The hallucinations could easily occur while he’s asleep, and he might sleepwalk or engage in other dangerous activities.”

“I – Fine. If you can get him to agree, I’ll do whatever I can.”

“He’ll listen to you, Jounouchi-san, not I. You have proven it many times.”

Jou was tempted to call the doctor a coward, knowing he wasn’t telling Kaiba himself because he knew the CEO wouldn’t like it. Instead he rejoined his lover on the bed, waving Sasaki out. It had to be done and he was in the best position to handle it. There wasn’t anything else to say. 

Kaiba turned to Jounouchi as the blond wrapped his arms around him, lying with his face against Jou’s chest. “What did he want?” he asked. 

Kaiba looked vulnerable and small and scared, and Jou hated it. It was nice to be trusted with his vulnerable side, but the other teen wasn’t the only one frightened. Jou was ready to cry. “Do we need to talk about it now?” he replied finally. 

“We should.” Kaiba frowned when Jou didn’t answer. “Katsuya? What’s wrong?”

The blond took a deep breath and went for it. “Sasaki says you need to be under constant supervision, and he’ll either send you to a hospital to get it or let us make arrangements to take care of it here. Seto, you’re going to have a breakdown if we don’t do something.”

Kaiba sat up, the sheets rustling with the movement. “That’s ridiculous,” he said coolly, his previously open expression vanishing. “I don’t need to be watched.”

“Don’t you?! I can’t turn around these days without you passing out! I spent more than an hour trying to get through to you. Just saying ‘I need you’ isn’t cutting it. I’m afraid if someone isn’t with you, you might go under and never come back!”

“And how do you propose to accomplish this without anyone noticing? Because I know you don’t mean to actually have me locked up.”

“Do you think people noticing matters to me?! Tell Mokuba. Tell the world for all I care! What’s important now is keeping you alive!”

It was the fear Kaiba saw in his eyes that cooled his temper. “I’ll be all right.”

“If that was true, you wouldn’t have scared me like that earlier. I’m worried, Seto. I don’t know who can help, and now the doctor’s saying you’re a step away from losing it. If he thinks having someone around all the time is the answer, I’ll do it, even if you hate me.”

“I could never hate you.”

“Don’t bother lying to me; I know you better than that. You’d resent me for taking away your privacy, ruining your concentration at work, messing up your relationship with Mokuba… You wouldn’t like having your life invaded, and I wouldn’t blame you.”

An intercom on the table buzzed and Kaiba leaned over to answer it. “Yes?”

“Seto-sama, Mokuba-sama has returned and is asking for you.”

“I’ll be down in a minute.” Both teens knew Isono was ready to argue, but Kaiba cut the connection. His sapphire gaze slid over to his lover. “We should talk to Mokuba together.”

“What?”

“We both know you’ll stick around no matter what I say, so we’ll do this the easy way. We’ll tell Mokuba the truth, both about my problem and your involvement. You can move in, and I’ll find you a job at KaibaCorp so you don’t have to resort to stalking.”

Jou scooted in and gave him a hug, unsure of how the casual intimacy would be received. They didn’t do things like that often, but the blond thought they needed the comfort. He jolted in shock when Kaiba returned the gesture. The brunette ran his fingers through Jou’s messy hair, smoothing it, as Jou realized something – Kaiba was still shaking. 

“Seto? You… You’re scared too.”

He didn’t answer for several beats, which was response enough. “Yes,” he said finally, his voice almost too soft to hear. “I’m scared too.”

Jou patted his back awkwardly. “You know, I should thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“For letting me see this fragile piece of you when you don’t normally share it. For helping Yuugi, for getting me accepted at the university even if I’m not going, for offering me a job and a home… For so many things.”

“I owe you more than that.” He reluctantly pulled away. “We should go. I said I’d be right down, so he’ll worry if we take much longer.”

“You have to admit he’d pick up on us being involved easier if he’d seen us like that.”

“Jounouchi, we are not having my little brother find us in bed.”

Jou laughed as he turned and slid off. “Yeah, yeah. Need help up?”

Kaiba shook his head and did the same. “I can feel you staring at me. I’ll say something if I think I’m going under again, so if you can calm down I’d appreciate it. Mokuba will be upset enough without you making him think I’ll drop dead any moment.”

“I guess.”

Still, Jou looped an arm around Kaiba’s waist as they walked down the stairs.

88888888

Mokuba wasn’t a fool – how could he be with who his brother was? – and he cottoned on fast. Jou and Kaiba had just set foot in the family room when he was staring at them.

“You’re together?!”

Kaiba’s mouth opened and closed, stunned speechless. Jou took the question more in stride. “Yeah. You okay with that?”

“I mean, I knew nii-sama was gay, but Jou, I thought you were straight!”

“Bi, apparently. It was a bit of a surprise to me too.”

The boy studied them. “How long has this been going on, and why didn’t I know?”

“Mokuba, that’s not important right now,” his brother said. “We have something we need to talk to you about.”

“Something bigger than you keeping secrets?” He caught the pointed look Jounouchi sent his brother. “You have more of them. Nii-sama!”

Kaiba sighed and sat on the couch, pulling Jou down with him. Mokuba planted himself in the chair across from them, glaring. “Just… Try to understand. This is serious.”

“Serious how? You’re not getting married, are you?”

Jou choked on the breath he’d just taken. “Don’t… say things like that,” he gasped once he’d recovered. “We’re eighteen, Mokuba. Even if it was possible it would be absurd.”

“Then what is it?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

Kaiba leaned forward. “You won’t like it,” he warned. “Mokuba, I’m sick. I have been for months and I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Sick how?” Mokuba demanded.

“I’m not sure how to explain…”

“He zones out,” Jou said flatly. “His eyes might be open, but he’s not seeing what’s around him. Occasionally he’ll almost walk in front of a car.”

The CEO eyed him, irritation plain on his face. “You might have been more delicate.”

“So what does that mean? Why are you telling me now?” the younger boy pressed.

Kaiba blew out a tired breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The doctor says I need to be watched. He thinks I’ll have a complete breakdown if this keeps happening.”

“So…?”

“So it would have been difficult for me to keep you from realizing someone was always following me around, wouldn’t it?”

Mokuba’s grey eyes shifted to Jou suspiciously. “Why do you know but not me?”

“I found your brother in the middle of an episode when I was leaving work one night,” Jou responded. “I brought him home; he told me then.”

“And where was I?!”

“You were still at the American park,” Kaiba answered. “I was here for a few days to deal with some issues on this end.”

Jou looked between the two of them. “You guys need to talk about this on your own. I’m going home, okay? Need to pack and everything. When do you want me back here?”

“Pack? Here?” Mokuba studied him. “You’re moving in?”

“I’m the one who’ll have the easiest time keeping an eye on him, since you have to go to school.” He glanced at Kaiba. “I’ll be a few hours unless you’d rather I wait till tomorrow.”

“Tonight is fine. Take my driver.”

“You realize I can get around on my own, right?”

“You’ve been on your feet all day; you must be tired. Take the driver, Katsuya. I’ll stay with Mokuba until you’re finished.”

“Katsuya?” the younger Kaiba asked though a half-hysterical laughing fit as the situation started to sink in. “You call him Katsuya?”

Jou snickered as he headed out, not envying the CEO the awkward conversation headed his way. Then he realized someday he’d need to have a very similar one with his sister and his amusement instantly faded.

88888888

Jou returned with his few belongings only to have Mokuba barrel into him at full speed.

“Idontknowwhatswrongwithniisamahelphim!”

“Whoa, what was all that?” He thought he’d heard ‘nii-sama’ and maybe something about help, but that was it. Either way, it wasn’t a reassuring welcome.

“Nii-sama, he’s… I don’t know, we talked for a while and all of a sudden he was just sort of gone! Jounouchi-kun, you have to help him!”

Jou crouched so he could see Mokuba’s face. “Hey, calm down. I’ve been through this before; I know what to do. Is he upstairs or still in the family room?”

“The family room.”

“Did you tell anyone else?”

Mokuba shook his head. “You said it was a secret.”

“Well, if it happens again and I’m not around, tell Isono-san. He’ll help until I can get to your brother, okay? Go upstairs and I’ll have him let you know when he’s feeling better.” 

Mokuba ran off looking upset and Jou sighed. He dropped his single bag by the door before hurrying to his lover’s side, wondering why he’d been stupid enough to leave. Jou just hoped he’d wake up. He was still freaked out himself from the earlier debacle and didn’t know if he or Mokuba could deal with a long one. The rush of pure relief he felt when the brunette’s eyes opened after a single request baffled Jou, but he set it aside. He brushed Kaiba’s bangs back and helped him sit up. 

“Katsuya?”

“I’m right here. Damn, can’t I leave you alone for an hour without you slipping off? You scared poor Mokuba half to death.”

“Is he all right?”

“A little panicked, but he’ll be okay. You said you’d tell me if you weren’t feeling good. I should have made you come. Or, I don’t know, had you both tag along. I wanted you to have a chance to talk, but if I’d realized how soon this would happen again I would’ve kept you close.”

“You can’t blame yourself. I felt fine.”

“I think I can, actually.” Jou sighed. “Let’s go up and tell Mokuba you’re okay. After that you’re going to bed. And we’re not having sex tonight; I’m mad at you. Yes, I know I’m being unreasonable. I don’t care, so deal with it.”

“Katsuya.”

“What?!”

Kaiba gave him a wan smile. “Thank you.”

And just like that, he melted into a little pile of puppy-goo.

88888888

The board of directors objected to Jou getting a position despite his lack of qualifications, but Kaiba shot them down without batting an eye as his receptionist showed the blond around the building and got him a clearance badge.

“Skills can be taught. I need someone trustworthy.”

“This… person… could easily be influenced by money,” one man argued.

“I’ve known Jounouchi for three years, and he’s never asked for a single yen.” He’d given a fair few despite that, but Jou wouldn’t ask, hated getting it, and that was what mattered.

“But your personal assistant! Start him as an intern if you have to hire him!”

Kaiba gave them one of his best glares. It probably could have frozen and shattered fine tempered steel. “I was under the impression I am the president of this company. Am I wrong?”

The others hurriedly shook their heads. “We’re trying to look out for your best interests, Kaiba-sama. That’s all,” one said. 

“Wrong. You’re looking out for yours. You have people you want to advance and don’t mind using me to do it. Jounouchi is the only person I know who would never share something I want kept private and will be available any time I need him.”

“Sir, you have had a number of altercations with this young man.”

“That’s another reason to hire him, not a problem. I don’t need another sycophant kissing my boots. He’ll tell me if he disagrees with what I’m doing, and he won’t be put off by my temper. He’s also absolutely loyal.” He smirked. “If anyone has any further objections, you can take them up with security as they escort you out with your belongings. Is that all?”

88888888

It was hard for Jounouchi to settle into his new life. Subterfuge was tiring, and living it day after day took a lot out of him. After all, people would start asking uncomfortable questions if he was always with Kaiba, but he couldn’t leave the CEO alone for the time it took to get from the mansion to company headquarters and back again. 

Going home was easier; Kaiba was generally one of the last ones to leave, and he’d often do so because of business functions he had to attend. As his assistant, it was perfectly reasonable for Jou to accompany him. He could mostly avoid going under if he kept talking, so Isono let the brunette monologue on the way to the office and Jou, who drove a company car, would meet the limo. If he left with Kaiba one of the security team would drive the car back to the mansion for him. The plan wasn’t flawless and there were occasional slips, but they made it work.

A desk was set up for him in the CEO’s office, eliciting further criticism, but Kaiba was quick to stamp it out a second time. Private work needed private space, and he insisted that he shouldn’t have to pick up the phone every time he wanted something. 

It was good Jou stayed close; the episodes came closer together, but to his relief only a few were really bad. Generally he could just look up from his work and say he needed him for something – often the endless papers he dealt with. It aroused no suspicion and kept Kaiba sane. 

Things seemed to be going well, but the past had a tendency to catch up with a person, no matter how long they tried to outrun it. Jou ran straight into his one rainy day eight months later. It was cold for early November, so he’d taken his break to get a large coffee and a bran muffin for Kaiba and cocoa for himself. He didn’t expect to see his old gang in such a good area.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Jounouchi!” Hirutani crowed. “What brings you to a place like this? I thought it was too rich for your blood.”

“I’m picking up coffee for my boss. I have to go.” It took work, but he kept his tone easy. He started edging toward the door, but he was surrounded before he reached it. Jou had disdained the bodyguard Kaiba offered when he became privy to trade secrets, but he was almost wishing he’d taken the other teen up on it when he took in the situation. 

“Look at his suit!” one of the newer members called. “Pricy for a secretary.”

“He’s right,” Hirutani said. “You look more like a big-shot than an errand boy.”

“Everyone dresses nice at KaibaCorp. It would make the company look bad if I didn’t too.” The café was loud and crowded, so no one noticed their altercation. Jou wondered if throwing the drinks at them and running would save his skin. He doubted his lover would approve if he came back covered in bruises – or worse. 

Hirutani looped an arm over Jou’s shoulder as he cringed. “You should come hang out sometime, Jounouchi. We’ve missed you, haven’t we, boys?” They steered him out of the shop and into a car before he had a chance to get away.

88888888

Kaiba was well enough to be alone for short periods of time, but he was wary. Too many close calls had driven home some hard lessons. When Jounouchi was gone longer than his half hour break or his ethics permitted, Kaiba paged Isono. “Where’s Jounouchi?” he demanded the instant the older man entered his office.

Isono frowned at his employer. “I haven’t seen him since he left to get your coffee, but I assumed he was here.”

“He isn’t, and he’d have called if something came up. Get into the security system and track his phone’s GPS.” He accessed the building cameras and checked parking. Jou’s car was there, untouched. “He didn’t drive, and he wouldn’t leave without a word. Something’s wrong.”

Mokuba stuck his head in, stopping by on his way home from school. “Nii-sama, where’s Jounouchi-kun? I wanted to ask him a few questions.”

“I don’t know.”

Isono came back with a printout. “Jounouchi-san’s cell is in a warehouse by the docks.”

Kaiba snatched the page. “I know that place. Mokuba was held there during Battle City.”

Mokuba peered over his shoulder at it. “I’ve heard rumors that there are gangs operating in the area. Some kids at school were talking about it; there’s been a lot of screaming and stuff.”

“Mokuba, keep an eye on things here. I need to retrieve my wayward pup.” Kaiba knew he risked having another episode before he could do anything, or even while he was driving, but it didn’t matter. Jounouchi was his and he wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

He took a dark, unmarked car to the docks. The surrounding area was abandoned except for a few bored sentries; he avoided them easily and found an upper window he could reach. The tin roof alongside it was full of holes, with a rather spectacular one at the far end, but he made it. 

It was obvious he was in the right place just by the sound of fists meeting flesh. Inching to the edge of the walkway, he peered down on the scene. Jou was there, hands tied overhead and secured to a large hook. His suit jacket was missing, and the dress shirt he wore underneath was half-shredded and bloody. Men he didn’t recognize were throwing punches, but Jou’s jaw was set and he made no sound. When he had the chance he lashed out at his attackers, sending one sprawling as Kaiba watched. The other two joined him in a matter of seconds when Jou put all his weight on his bonds and pumped his feet into their faces.

“Hirutani!” Jounouchi shouted. “You’ll have to do better than that!”

Another man stepped into view. He was the same height as Jou, so Kaiba would be a few centimeters taller, but he was stockier than either of them. His hair was dark blue on top with a lighter shade underneath. The CEO automatically memorized his name and distinguishing features, promising himself he’d make the thug pay once Jounouchi was safely out of the way.

“I thought about using Tasers for old times’ sake, but I decided against it. You’re much more valuable to me awake.”

“Big talk for someone letting his underlings do the work and take the punishment.”

“Really, Jounouchi, if you’d just come back nicely, none of this would be necessary. I don’t want to be forced to involve the people you care about.”

“You even think about touching Yuugi again and you’d better count your breaths, because I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands.”

“No, the kid’s onto me. Too risky. What about your sister? I’m sure sweet little Shizuka-chan would come if her big brother asked her to.” Jounouchi snarled as he paused for effect. “Of course, there’s always your lover. He does enough shady stuff that no one would be too surprised if something were to happen to him. I heard he killed his old man already.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

“Kaiba Seto, of course. I’ve been following you for a few days – you know I don’t like to make a move unprepared. It’s strange. Don’t you think it’s suspicious for you to work for his company and live in his house?”

Kaiba realized he’d heard Jou’s tormentor’s name before, and his blood ran cold. 

I used to run with Hirutani’s gang in middle school. The other gangs are still scared of me, but Hirutani likes to pop in and cause trouble, or send some of his goons to give it a go. If he found out about this thing with us he’d probably try to have me killed.

“I live there because I work for him, you idiot!” Jou snapped. “If you’d paid attention, you’d know Kaiba and I don’t exactly get along. He needed someone who’d always be available, and I wasn’t going to stay with my drunken excuse of a dad when I didn’t have to.”

“So why the secrecy? If it’s just a job, you shouldn’t need a separate car.”

“Because of stuff like this! Kaiba hates people nosing around in his personal life, so he decided to keep things as professional as possible. Wouldn’t it look weird if the boss drove his assistant to work every morning?”

“See, I don’t think you understand. I got involved for your own good, Jounouchi. You know how people here are. No one wants to see you go down the wrong path.”

“And what wrong path is that?” Jou asked acidly. “Last I checked, a good job with one of the biggest companies in Japan was the sort of path people liked. I happen to enjoy getting paid without having to break people’s bones. Less effort. Less mess.”

“Jounouchi, Jounouchi… It’s not the job I’m worried about. You must remember how we feel about… Well, I’m sure you know what I mean.”

“Not really.”

“I’m talking about you being involved with another man. You have to realize how this would affect my reputation, after all. You’re one of us.”

The blond snorted. “In case you didn’t notice, I left all this behind a long time ago. What I do with my life is nobody’s business but mine.”

“You’re not denying it, though.”

“I already did, moron. I said as much when you brought Kaiba up. I work for him.”

“Then why haven’t you been with any girls?”

“They’re not Mai.”

The CEO felt that one like someone had punched him in the gut. 

“Who?”

“Mai. Kujaku Mai? From the tournaments? Blonde, big purple eyes, busty… That Mai?”

Hirutani began laughing and slapped his prisoner hard on the back. Jou had to grab the ropes holding him up to keep from spinning. “You really had me worried for a minute! As if the Jounouchi Katsuya would be involved with another man, let alone one like Kaiba Seto!”

Jou gritted his teeth. “Great. If that’s settled, wanna let me loose? I’ve been gone for hours; he’ll be looking for me.” He looked at the guys he’d taken down. “You might want to get better help, by the way. These crumpled with one good kick to the head.”

The gangster shrugged. “Real fighters are hard to come by. I need more like you.”

“Well, that’s not my thing anymore. I have a good life, and I’d rather not give it up and go back to trying to outrun cops. I’ve also realized I like having skin on my knuckles at the end of the day; I don’t have to do laundry as often.”

Hirutani untied him and Jou rubbed his wrists, trying to restore blood flow to his fingers. “Sorry we couldn’t work things out, Jounouchi.”

“Yeah. Well, I’d say see you around, but I’d rather not.”

“You’re always welcome here.”

The blond shook his head. “Enjoy this while it lasts, Hirutani, and hope the police don’t catch up with you.”

Kaiba, already planning to leave an anonymous tip for precisely that purpose, slid out of his hiding place as Jou walked out and shadowed him until they reached the alley the CEO had left his car in. He grabbed Jou’s arm and steered him to it, shoving him into the passenger’s seat.

Jou was pissed, but he had the sense to wait till they were driving away to round on him. “What are you doing here?! Are you trying to get killed?! And – alone! Damn it, I thought you knew enough to bring someone with you by now! What if you’d been in an accident?!”

“Jounouchi, shut up. I am not discussing this now.”

He frowned, caught off-guard. “What –?”

“I said not now.”

The rest of the drive to the mansion was silent, and as Kaiba went up the stairs to their room he didn’t say a word. Jou followed, baffled, and watched as he sat on the edge of their bed. “Want to tell me what’s wrong now?”

The look Kaiba shot him would’ve killed lesser men. Jou didn’t even bat an eye. “You could have said you still had feelings for Kujaku Mai.”

The blond blinked, completely lost. “What?”

“You just told that imbecilic gangster the reason you hadn’t been dating any girls was because they weren’t Mai.”

“You were there? Of course you were,” he realized. “You would’ve been the first one to notice I was gone. You shouldn’t have come though; I had everything under control.” He was willfully ignoring his various injuries. Kaiba could see three bruises and a forming black eye from where he sat, as well as a split lip. There were bracelets of scarlet rope burn on each wrist with similar marks on his fingers from where he’d held on. 

“Jounouchi…” Kaiba growled.

“Wow, calm down. The last thing I need to top off a horrible day is you turning this into a fight. Did it ever occur to you I was making it up? I couldn’t tell Hirutani the truth if I wanted to get out of there in one piece, so I told him what he wanted to hear.”

“Like I’m going to believe that.”

Jou snarled, barely swallowing back several less than flattering epithets. “You haven’t changed at all, have you? If something doesn’t fit your expectations, it’s automatically wrong. I’ve never lied or prettied things up to avoid upsetting you before, so why would I start now?”

Kaiba pointed at the door. “Out. I don’t want to see you until I’ve calmed down.”

“Like hell. I don’t take orders from you at home.”

“Jounouchi, get out.”

“If I have to go a few rounds with you to get it through your thick head, I’m game.” Jou began to roll up what was left of his tattered sleeves. “It’s the only thing that ever made you pay attention to what I had to say anyway.”

Neither of them was sure who jumped first. All they knew was seconds later they were on the floor practically trying to kill each other until Jou decided to play dirty. He grabbed Kaiba’s face and kissed him. The CEO froze, his fist uncurling as he finally met his lover’s gaze. Jou watched him steadily. 

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure you get it. I don’t lie to you, Seto, and I’m not going to start now. I gave Hirutani a bunch of crap. I said whatever it took to get out because I knew you needed me here.”

“Then why Mai?”

“He’d believe it. There are pictures from the tournaments we were in and they show the Duelist Kingdom videos sometimes, so he’s seen me with her.” He snickered, a dopey grin on his face. “I never would’ve pegged you as the insecure type.”

“Not the time to crack jokes, Jou.” The CEO rolled to one side, giving him space.

Jou eased into a seated position and ran a hand over his banged-up face. “Well, I’d say it wasn’t the time to jump to conclusions and crack me either. You didn’t break my nose, did you?”

Kaiba frowned as he saw yet another bruise blooming. There was very little undamaged skin left on his lover. “No, but that must hurt. Katsuya, I…”

“I know you regret it. You don’t have to force an apology.”

“I should.” He wiped a trace of blood from Jou’s lip. “I had no business getting so mad while you were in pain. Even if it was true, it could’ve waited until you were better. I’m sorry.”

Jou cracked a grin, but he flinched as it pulled on his various injuries. “Great. Ice please. My face is killing me. Honestly, we took swings at each other for years without so much as a scratch and the one time you finally decide to land a punch I’m already banged up.”

“I…”

 

“You already apologized. That’s enough.” Kaiba left for a few minutes before returning with an ice pack, a glass of water and some painkillers. Jou swallowed the pills before holding the ice over his blackening eye. “You’re going to have one of these too. How do you plan on explaining us looking like half a panda at work tomorrow? I bet a shiner would give the perfect impression during whatever meetings you have.”

The CEO pulled Jou over to their bed and let him curl up against his chest. “We’ll take a few days off. The company can manage without me for that long.”

“You? Take time off? I’ve seen you go in after one of those bad episodes like nothing’s happened, and a few bruises keep you home? Damn, wish I’d known sooner.”

“We can stay in with Mokuba for the weekend. Play games or something. It’s for your sake more than mine anyway, silly pup.”

“I’m not a dog.”

He smirked. “If you say so.”

“You’re laughing at me, aren’t you.”

“Of course not.” He was.

“Right. I’m going to sleep now. Good night, Seto.”

He stroked his lover’s golden hair, feeling more at peace than he had since his parents had died and left him and Mokuba alone. “Good night, Katsuya.”


End file.
